Criminal Justice

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Criminal Justice

Community Psychologists study the interactions between law enforcement, the legal system, and communities defined by geographic, socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and religious identities. Community Psychologists facilitate research, discussion, collaboration, and action to promote better understanding of laws and law enforcement within these community contexts.

Posted in: Criminal Justice, Mental HealthPublished in: The Community PsychologistTrauma history is linked with later criminal activity. Rehabilitation through the Justice System is limited when it does not address the sexual trauma history of inmates. More work needs to be done to address the cycle of sexual violence within the community.

Posted in: Criminal Justice, EducationPublished in: The Community PsychologistIn response to increases in juvenile violence and high-profile school shootings during the 1990s, the United States has seen increased implementation of policies and practices intended to improve the safety and well-being of students (Fader, Lockwood, Schall & Stokes, 2015). However, some argue that these policies perpetuate the school-to-prison pipeline and the criminalization of youth […]

Posted in: Criminal Justice, InspirationPublished in: The Community PsychologistCommunity psychologists hold tremendous potential for igniting transformation during divisive times. The skills and values which serve as the foundation for community psychology place us in a unique position to bring diverse stakeholders together to create second-order change. To do so requires a willingness to embrace the dialectic and openly consider divergent solutions (Rappaport, 2002), […]

Posted in: Criminal Justice | Tags: Featured ResearchIn 2009, approximately 11,000 sexual assault kits (also called “rape kits”) were found in a remote police property storage facility in Detroit, Michigan. The vast majority of these kits had never been tested by a crime laboratory for forensic DNA evidence. This meant that about 11,000 rape victims had sexual assault kits collected at a […]

Posted in: Children, Youth and Families, Criminal Justice, Public PolicyPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyJessica Chicco, Patricia Esparza, M. Brinton Lykes, Fabricio E. Balcazar and Kevin Ferreira On April 5th Antonio Puente, President of the APA, sent a letter to the Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security raising concerns about the current policies regarding the incarceration of migrant families. That letter was based largely on the SCRA Statement. EXECUTIVE […]

Posted in: Criminal Justice, Marginalized GroupsIn 2009, about 11,000 sexual assault evidence collection kits were found in a police storage facility in a large, predominately Black Midwestern city. The majority of these kits had never been tested by a crime laboratory, meaning the potential evidence therein could not be used to investigate and prosecute the sexual assault. This begs the […]

Posted in: Children, Youth and Families, Criminal Justice, EnvironmentPublished in: The Community PsychologistThe SCRA Social Justice Mini-grant program provided seeds for the development of a vegetable garden for youth at a detention center (Boy’s Totem Town) located St. Paul, MN. Beginning in May 2017, youth participated in a vegetable garden program that taught them the principles of environmental sustainability, healthful and nutritious diets, and responsible ecological practices.

Posted in: Children, Youth and Families, Criminal Justice | Tags: ResearchYouth who become involved in the juvenile justice system are at increased risk for a range of negative outcomes. With early interventions, such as Juvenile Drug Court (JDC), long-term outcomes are likely to improve.

The Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA) - Community Psychology, Division 27 of the American Psychological Association - serves many different disciplines that focus on community research and action. Our members are committed to promoting health and empowerment and to preventing problems in communities, groups, and individuals. Visit us at scra27.org